PYNE NEEDS TO COME CLEAN ON BLACKMAIL ALLEGATIONS

Posted by Kim Carr5sc on October 17, 2015

Reports in the Guardian Australia reveal that Industry Minister Christopher Pyne has put an ultimatum to cross-bench Senators that the Government will refuse to provide support to automotive industry workers unless the Senate passes the Abbott-Turnbull Government's multi-billion cuts to family tax benefits.

Christopher Pyne is asking Senators to betray low or middle income families or auto workers. The Government has a moral obligation to look after the welfare of both rather than seeking to trade one off against the other.

These reports show Christopher Pyne has learned nothing when it comes to negotiating with the Senate.

Earlier this year he took the extraordinary step of holding 1700 jobs, 35,000 research projects and 100 mid-career research fellowships hostage to try and pass his unfair and unnecessary plan for $100,000 degrees.

But it seems he is yet to discover that you cannot simply rob Peter to pay Paul.

After goading the car industry into leaving Australia and attempting to cut $900 million out of Automotive Transformation Scheme (ATS), it is clear that the Abbott-Turnbull Government is not serious about the automotive industry or about sustaining manufacturing jobs in Australia.

The Senate committee looking into the future of the Australian automotive industry has heard that up to 200,000 jobs will be lost as a result of the closures in the automotive industry.

The committee has already recommended that urgent action be taken to expand the ATS to help component manufactures diversify before full vehicle production ceases.

Mr Pyne needs to realise that to create Australian jobs you need to support Australian families and to support Australian families you need to create Australian jobs.

It is becoming apparent that no matter what portfolio Christopher Pyne is given he makes a mess and Australian families are left paying the price.

For two years Labor has been fighting the Abbott-Turnbull Government's cuts to family tax benefits and will not stop until they are out of the Parliament and out of the Budget.

Labor will fight to keep high-skilled, high-wage jobs in Australia and will continue to hold this government to account for its callous approach to the future of manufacturing and innovation in this country.